FAST START
The season kicked off with a memorable Australian Open that saw 20-year-ols Novak Djokovic and Maria Sharapova dominate the competition and walk away with the first major prizes of the year.
Their wins capped a fortnight of surprise results and dramatic upsets. Djokovic and fellow men's finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga brought town the two giants of the men's game - Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal - in straight sets in the semifinals. The Williams sisters fell in the quarterfinals to the Serbian pair of Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic, and Justine Henin lost at the same stage to Sharapova.
Is a changing of the guard afoot? The next few months will tell us more.
The event also offered plenty of moments that stood on their own, including an incredible three-day string of five-setters between Marcos Baghdatis and Marat Safin, Phillip Kohlschreiber and Andy Roddick, Roger Federer and Janko Tisparevic, James Blake and Sebastian Grosjean and (drum roll, please) Lleyton Hewitt and Marcos Baghdatis, which topped them all with a 4:34 a.m. ending to mark the latest finish in Open history.
The women had some scrappy encounters of their own, like Jelena Jankovic's 12-10 win in the third set over Tamira Paszek in the first round, local favorite Casey Dellacqua's upset of Amelie Mauresmo and Ana Ivanovic's comeback from 6-0, 2-0 down against Daniela Hantuchova in the semifinals.
Recap all the happenings Down Under with TENNIS.com's Australian Open archive.
http://www.tennis.com/tournaments/2008/australianopen/index.aspx
 REVVING UP
A lot may have happened in Australia, but the season has only just begun and much more remains to be decided. The top players will meet again in March at Indian Wells and Miami, the last big hardcourt events until August.
It’s been Federer and Djokovic who have dominated the American hardcourts over the last year, taking Miami, Montreal, Cincinnati and the US Open between them. Nadal snuck in a title at Indian Wells, but has not been a force on the surface since. Federer may be feeling the heat from his young rivals, but unlike them, he’s not defending a title or many ranking points during the month, so it’s an opportunity to get a little more breathing room. Who will come out ahead in this three-way battle? Stay tuned to TENNIS.com for on-site coverage at both tournaments.
Sharapova will lead the field in Indian Wells as she tries to establish herself as one of the four top players of this decade. The other three – Henin and the Williamses – are expected to return to the fray in Miami.
While the top players jockey for position, many players who previously hoped to join them are struggling in the ranks. In February, we'll be taking a look at where some of these once bright hopefuls are now.
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